Also Closes $3.85 Billion Rockstar Energy Acquisition
April 28, 2020
PepsiCo just announced an exclusive agreement to distribute Bang Energy in the US. The deal, effective immediately, comes as PepsiCo also has closed the $3.85 billion acquisition of Rockstar Energy. Terms of the agreement with Bang owner VPX Pharmaceuticals...
Former CEO Responds to Recent Events, Enthusiastic About Sale.
April 14, 2020
Stevia producer PureCircle has agreed to sell a 75% stake in the company to global ingredients maker Ingredion for about 185.3 million pounds sterling ($231 million). The transaction is expected to close during the second half of this year. The announcement follows a five-month accounting probe at PureCircle and eventual management shake-up, which included the resignation of founder and former CEO Maga Malsagov. Ingredion will appoint...
A sports drink brand backed by cannabis producer Canopy Growth and with potential access to the beer distribution network of Constellation Brands is preparing to launch its first ready-to-drink product next month. Toronto-based BioSteel Sports Nutrition, known for its powdered pink beverage, wants to...
Product Targets Supermarket Juice Aisle. Limited Packaging. No Sugar Added.
February 21, 2020
Next month, PepsiCo will launch a new sports drink, Gatorade Juiced, aimed at youth athletes and earmarked for the juice aisle. In an exclusive interview, Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O’Brien said the brand is looking to expand its base by creating a sports drink for pre-high school consumers that includes an ingredient profile attractive to their adult caretakers. “It’s bringing younger athletes into the portfolio with a product that their moms, dads and coaches feel great about,” O’Brien said. “We’re not asking them to step up into base Gatorade at an early age. We’re now creating this product specifically for this generation of athletes.” The launch comes as a critical time for the Gatorade brand...
CSD Growth Decelerates. US Carbonated soft drink dollar sales grew +0.3% during the four weeks ending Jan. 25, according to Nielsen data published by Morgan Stanley. That was a deceleration from +1.4% growth in the prior 12-weeks. A -2.8% volume decline during the four weeks...
Coca-Cola’s Powerade will reassert itself in the US this year with increased marketing and advertising spending, and two major product introductions. A new Powerade Power Water will go head-to-head with PepsiCo’s Propel fitness water for the first time since Propel’s introduction 20 years ago. Like Propel, the sugar-free electrolyte- and vitamin-enhanced Power Water will target lower-impact workout occasions or casual daily hydration. The second new product, Powerade Ultra, will focus on endurance workouts ranging from triathlons to body building...
‘Never Say Never’ On Coke Brand Experiments, Non-Monster Energy Plays. Sees Coffee Growth. Says Femsa Relationship ‘Strong.’
December 17, 2019
Coke CEO James Quincey joined Future Smarts after a visit that morning to the New York Stock Exchange, where he and other executives celebrated Coca-Cola’s 100th anniversary as a public company by ringing the opening bell. Quincey now is in his third year as CEO of Coke. He was additionally named chairman of the board in April. Quincey joined Coke in 1996 and has spent the majority of his career in Latin America and then Europe before becoming COO under former CEO Muhtar Kent in August of 2015. Quincey’s focus as CEO has been to grow brand Coke while diversifying the company’s portfolio to everything from coffee drinks to plant-based offerings. Early this year, he closed on the acquisition of UK-based Costa Coffee, a chain of cafés stretching across Europe...
This story is a recap of highlights from his Future Smarts conference appearance Dec. 9 in New York.
Pepsi Syrup for SodaStream. PepsiCo-owned SodaStream is now selling Pepsi-Cola and Mtn Dew
flavor syrups in Sweden and Norway for its at-home beverage maker. Other brands available are...
This year's NACS trade show in Atlanta, with exhibits that covered the space of almost two football fields, offered a first look at innovation being sold into retailers for 2020. The products pictured are some of the newest innovations from Coke, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper and Nestle. These products mostly launch late this year and early next year.